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The state is struggling to find a way to pay for its ambitious plan to reduce class sizes, and Gov. Jeb Bush has said the state will pony up $3 billion to pay for the initiative. Yet, critics say the plan could fuel the governor's plan to increase the use of vouchers and may rob money from some social programs.

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Livonia, Mich., schools chief Kenneth Watson has said his 13 top administrators would earn up to 3% pay raises if MEAP scores rise. Watson says the policy is meant to reinforce the message that learning is the district's top goal.

States that have supplanted affirmative action with race-neutral policies for university admissions have found that the new policies do not ensure racial and ethnic diversity on campuses, a Harvard University study indicates. Although race-neutral policies have been lauded as a better alternative by the Bush administration, in order for them to work, they must be accompanied by outreach programs and financial aid, the study says.

Some say it is an "oversimplification" to think dropping the number of supervisory unions from 60 to 15 would save money or improve education. A proposed state bill would have nearly every county serve as a supervisory union.

Australia's school retention rate is 67%, compared with 88% in the U.S. and Canada, and 80,000 young Australians are expected to drop out of school in the next decade. The school system is weighing options that would help integrate disenfranchised students.

The government has said targets for 11 year olds were not met last year and thus is engaging in a drive to improve test results. The new targets are for 85% of pupils to reach the national standards in math and English by 2004.